Page 29 of Test the Ice
He pauses and seemingly looks around for something to sign. He disappears for a moment and runs over to his parents to tug on their pant legs like he did to me. I watch him for a second before shifting my attention to the prettiest girl in the room.
Reese is staring directly at me.
Pride fills my chest.I grin, my lip hitching on one side.
Knowing she was caught, she turns away quickly, but not quite quick enough, because I spotted the blush rush to her cheeks.
I get back on Jackson’s level and sign the puck he brought me, but before I hand it to him, another grand idea comes to mind.
“Hey, want to be my partner in crime?” I ask him.
This time, there is no hesitation. He nods his head eagerly, more than willing to partner up with me.
There’s a nearby bin of pucks for signing. I sneakily grab one and write,Who is Charlie?on it with a permanent marker and hand it to Jackson. “Okay, partner. Can you deliver this puckto that girl right there?” I point over at Reese, who is doing everything in her power to avoid me.
She stands alone, looking at Daisy and Kane arguing while simultaneously posing for pictures with kids.
She’s leaning against my locker. Coincidence? I think not.
Jackson disappears to deliver the puck to Reese while I busy myself with signing more autographs and posing with other kids and their families. I catch quick glimpses of my little partner in crime when he hands Reese the puck, and I suddenly can’t look away.
She bends down to get on his level and pushes her soft wavy hair over her shoulder. Her warm smile sucks me in, and the fluttering of her eyes? I’m a goner.
Reese quickly stands up straight after taking the puck from Jackson and raises an eyebrow in my direction.
I shrug innocently.
Her lips flatten.
Humor fills me, and I find myself wanting to smirk as I’m pulled away to socialize some more. I photobomb several of my teammates while they pose for their own photos with tiny fans and win the laughs of everyone in the room, even Reese.
Kane saunters up beside me, huffing and puffing.
“Lady trouble?” I ask.
“Fuck off,” Kane growls.
We both look out into the sea of kids who somehow seem more interested in Daisy and Reese than us. Jackson continues to stand near Reese, making no move to come back over to me.
Little traitor. Not that I can blame him.
I glance down when someone taps on the side of my leg.
This time, it’s a little girl with pink glasses and two pigtails. She’s holding up a puck for me to take with wide eyes. She’s cute and reminds me of Rhodes’ daughter.
Though, Ellie is as sassy as they get.
After signing the puck, I swoop the little girl up into my arms. She doesn’t talk, and her parents explain that she’s mostly deaf yet refuses to wear her hearing aids.
“Do you have them with you?” I ask them after posing with her for a photo.
The dad nods and pulls out two purple devices.
I place the little girl back on her feet but stay on her level. I pop both hearing aids into my ears, and she giggles. Not knowing sign language, I turn to her parents. “Can you ask her if she likes them? If she thinks they look good on me?”
The mom laughs while signing to her daughter.
She shakes her head and giggles again. Before I know it, she’s reaching forward and snatching them out of my ear. It only takes her a few seconds to put them into her own.
